SYSTEM AND METHOD OF BIOMETRIC SMART CARD USER AUTHENTICATION

• US 20010048025A1
• Filed: 05/10/1999
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: SHINN, PHILIP C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,655,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/55 Performing matching on a personal external card, e.g. to avoid submitting reference information
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/58 Solutions for unknown imposter distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A system and method for authenticating a smart card user at a reader device makes use of an application on a smart card microprocessor on which information fields relating to biometric information for the user and a table of pre-defined probability of occurrence values for user authentication is stored. The smart card and a biometric sample for the user is presented to the reader device, and an application associated with the reader device automatically authenticates the user base on a match level between the stored biometric information and the presented biometric sample according to a desired probability of occurrence value from the stored table. Alternatively, the user is automatically authenticated by an application on the smart card microprocessor. The reader device reads the presented biometric sample, automatically presents what is read to the smart card application, and the smart card application then authenticates the user according to the threshold match score from the stored table that corresponds to the desired probability of occurrence value.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a smart card user at a reader device, comprising:

storing information fields for the user on the smart card relating to biometric information for the user and a table of pre-defined probability of occurrence values for user authentication;

presenting the smart card and a biometric sample for the user to the reader device; and

automatically authenticating the user based at least in part on a match level between the stored biometric information and the presented biometric sample according to a desired probability of occurrence value from the stored table.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing the information fields relating to the biometric information for the user further comprises storing a biometric template for the user.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein storing the biometric template further comprises storing at least one model of biometric patterns for the user selected from a group of biometric patterns consisting of voice print, photograph, signature, fingerprint, hand geometry, retinal image, and iris scan.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing the information fields relating to the table of pre-defined probability of occurrence values for user authentication further comprises automatically assigning a probability of occurrence value to each of a plurality of pre-defined range limit values.

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein automatically assigning the probability of occurrence values further comprises automatically identifying the range limit values for each of a plurality of value ranges of biometric reader device match scores.

6. The method of

claim 5

, wherein automatically identifying the range limit values further comprises automatically tabulating a performance histogram distribution of biometric reader device match scores for false acceptance of an impostor and false rejection of a valid user into the plurality of value ranges.

7. The method of

claim 6

, wherein automatically tabulating the performance histogram distribution further comprises automatically quantifying the performance histogram distribution into discrete levels of the biometric reader device match scores.

8. The method of

claim 7

, wherein automatically tabulating the performance histogram distribution further comprises automatically assigning the probability of occurrence value for each of the discrete levels of the biometric reader device match scores.

9. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing the information fields further comprises storing personal data for the user on the smart card.

10. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing information fields further comprises storing information related to identification of a biometric system on the smart card.

11. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing the information fields further comprises storing a hashed data field on the smart card.

12. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing the information fields further comprises storing the information fields in an application on the smart card.

13. The method of

claim 12

, wherein storing the information fields in the application further comprises storing the information fields in an application on a microprocessor of the smart card.

14. The method of

claim 1

, wherein presenting the smart card further comprises presenting the smart card to the reader device associated with a terminal.

15. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the terminal further comprises at least one of an area access terminal, a computer network terminal, a computer access terminal, a stored value terminal, a monetary access terminal, a PBX terminal, a long distance terminal, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a public internet terminal, and an automated teller machine.

16. The method of

claim 1

, wherein presenting the biometric sample further comprises presenting the biometric sample to the reader device associated with a terminal.

17. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the terminal further comprises at least one of an area access terminal, a computer network terminal, a computer access terminal, a stored value terminal, a monetary access terminal, a PBX terminal, a long distance terminal, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a public internet terminal, and an automated teller machine.

18. The method of

claim 1

, wherein presenting the biometric sample further comprises presenting at least one biometric sample selected from a group of biometric samples consisting of voice print, photograph, signature, fingerprint, hand geometry, retinal image, and iris scan.

19. The method of

claim 1

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprises pre-selecting the desired probability of occurrence value.

20. The method of

claim 19

, wherein pre-selecting the desired probability of occurrence value further comprises pre-defining a desired probability of occurrence value for false acceptance of an impostor and false rejection of a valid user.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein pre-defining the desired probability of occurrence value further comprises pre-defining an instruction set directing the reader device to look to the stored table of probability of occurrence values for a false acceptance of an impostor and false rejection of a valid user threshold match score corresponding to the desired probability of occurrence value.

22. The method of

claim 21

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprises automatically selecting the false acceptance of an impostor and false rejection of a valid user threshold match score, such that for a desired false acceptance rate, a match value between the stored biometric information and the biometric sample is at least a pre-determined level, and for a desired false rejection rate, the match value is less than a pre-determined level.

23. The method of

claim 1

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprise automatically authenticating the user by an application associated with the reader device.

24. The method of

claim 23

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprises automatically authenticating the user by an application residing at least in part on the reader device.

25. The method of

claim 23

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprising automatically authenticating the user by an application residing at least in part on a terminal associated with the reader device.

26. The method of

claim 1

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprises automatically authenticating the user by an application associated with the smart card.

27. The method of

claim 26

, wherein automatically authenticating further comprises automatically authenticating the user by an application residing at least in part on the smart card.

28. A system for authenticating a smart card user at a reader device, comprising:

means for storing information fields for the user on the smart card relating to biometric information for the user and a table of pre-defined probability of occurrence values for user authentication;

means for presenting the smart card and a biometric sample for the user to the reader device;

means associated for automatically authenticating the user by the reader device based at least in part on a match level between the stored biometric information and the presented biometric sample according to a desired probability of occurrence value from the stored table.

29. The system of

claim 28

, wherein the means for storing the information fields further comprises an application on the smart card.

30. The system of

claim 29

, wherein the application on the smart card further comprises an application on a microprocessor of the smart card.

31. The system of

claim 30

, wherein the means for presenting the smart card and the biometric sample further comprises a reader device associated with a terminal.

32. The system of

claim 31

, wherein the means for presenting the smart card and the biometric sample further comprises an application associated with the reader device.

33. The system of

claim 32

, wherein the terminal further comprises at least one of an area access terminal, a computer network terminal, a computer access terminal, a stored value terminal, a monetary access terminal, a PBX terminal, a long distance terminal, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a public internet terminal, and an automated teller machine.

34. The system of

claim 28

, wherein the means for automatically authenticating the user further comprises an application associated with the reader device.

35. The system of

claim 34

, wherein the reader device is associated with a terminal.

36. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the terminal further comprises at least one of an area access terminal, a computer network terminal, a computer access terminal, a stored value terminal, a monetary access terminal, a computer access terminal, a stored value terminal, a monetary access terminal, a PBX terminal, a long distance terminal, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a public internet terminal and an automated teller machine.

37. The system of

claim 28

, wherein the means for automatically authenticating further comprises an application associated with the smart card.